Mixed monolayers of cationic surfactants and anionic polymers at the air-water interface: Surface tension and ellipsometry studies

Equilibrium surface tension measurements have been carried out on mixed solutions of a non- surface active polyelectrolyte (polyacrylamide sulfonate) and cationic surfactants. A strong synergistic lowering of the surface tension is found in the concentration range where no appreciable complexation of surfactant and polymer occurs in the bulk solution (as seen from viscosity measurements). The surface tension decrease does not depend upon the polymer molecular weight, and there is a limited influence of the surfactant chain length. The influence of the degree of charge of the polymer is more important: for small degree of charge, the complexation is less cooperative, and the structure of the surface complex is looser.